Fifty years ago, on 3 August 1975, The Who began what would prove to be their final tour with drummer Keith Moon, opening at the Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland. The band had no new album to promote, but their reputation and back catalogue were strong enough to guarantee sold-out shows, placing them alongside the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd as one of rock's dominant acts. The tour came amid visible strain within the group, offering insight into the personal and creative tensions that would eventually mark the end of this line-up.

Tensions had surfaced publicly the previous year when guitarist Pete Townshend told NME he sometimes felt "too old" for performing and described unease at seeing the same devoted fans at every New York show. Singer Roger Daltrey hit back forcefully in a later NME interview, accusing Townshend of arrogance and saying the remarks had dented fan morale, though he later reflected the exchange had helped "clear the air" between them. The band had weathered earlier ructions, including a brief 1965 split after Daltrey and Moon came to blows. By 1975, the members were also pursuing separate projects: Daltrey had raised his profile through film roles in "Tommy" and "Lisztomania", John Entwistle recorded a solo album and toured with his side project Ox, and Moon released his only solo record, "Two Sides of the Moon", featuring Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Joe Walsh and Bobby Keys.